First truly damp, nippy morning of the season—complete with a dusting of snow atop the mountains. A combination of mysterious factors brought a little wave of migrants.
Right away, in the scrub along the switchback, came a small flock of juncos, along with Townsend’s Warbler. Then came a small contingent of yellow-rumps and an overflight of eighteen robins. Then the junco and yellow-rump numbers began to rise—and on our return, dog and I encountered a big gang of ’rumps, accompanied by a few Ruby-crowned Kinglets.
I do love a little migration wave.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:34 a.m. (8:34 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Black-billed Magpie (v) 2. House Finch** (v) 3. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 4. Northern Flicker (v) 5. Rock Pigeon* 6. Dark-eyed Junco 7. Townsend’s Warbler 7. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 9. Spotted Towhee 10. Yellow-rumped Warbler 11. American Robin 12. Pine Siskin 13. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Elsewhere
14. Song Sparrow (v) 15. House Sparrow (v) 16. Lesser Goldfinch (v) 17. Accipiter (sp)
Mammals
Mountain Cottontail
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Thought there might be a break in the rain so dog and I could hike this morning, but it wasn’t to be. Instead, we waited until afternoon, when the (welcome) precipitation finally moved away. A nippy—40 degrees (F)—stroll, with more birds than I imagined there’d bee.
Notable were three hawks: a solitary Cooper’s drifting low over the deer trails; a pair of red-tails perched down below the bluff, on their favorite cell tower.
Tomorrow, I hear, will bring no consequential rain.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 12:56 a.m. (11:56 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. House Finch** (v) 2. Northern Flicker (v) 3. Black-billed Magpie (v) 4. Song Sparrow** (v) 5. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay 6. Rock Pigeon* 7. Red-tailed Hawk 8. Yellow-rumped Warbler 9. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 10. Cooper’s Hawk 11. Dark-eyed Junco 12. American Robin 13. Lesser Goldfinch (v)
Elsewhere
14. House Sparrow (v)
Mammals
Red Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
Was supposed to rain all day, so headed out prepared to get a little wet, dog and I. However—despite a dramatic looking sky—we encountered only sparse sprinkles. And I managed to spot a few birds.
A couple even posed (a couple of doves that we surprised in the little burnt patch).
Rained lightly for much of the rest of the day, and tomorrow’s looking rainier. We shall hike either way, Captain Jack and I.
Grandeur Peak Area List At 7:34 a.m. (8:34 MDT), I hiked a few hundred feet up a mountain.
1. Song Sparrow** (v) 2. House Finch** 3. Northern Flicker 4. Woodhouse’s Scrub-jay (v) 5. Rock Pigeon* 6. Spotted Towhee (v) 7. Yellow-rumped Warbler 8. Mourning Dove 9. Black-capped Chickadee (v) 10. American Robin (v) 11. White-crowned Sparrow
Elsewhere
12. House Sparrow (v) 13. Lesser Goldfinch (v) 14. California Quail
Mammals
Red Squirrel Rock Squirrel
(v) Voice only *Also elsewhere **Voice only elsewhere
